Alabama Spring Gobbler season 2024

birds

When I arrived in AL in 1988, and for many years before, up until just 3 years ago, the spring gobbler season limit has been 5 birds. In 2021, based on assessment by the state biologists, the seasonal limit was reduced to 4 birds. There were adjustments to opening and ending season dates as well. The theme of declining turkey numbers is echoed through out the southeast and northern states. Oddly, I don't hear much about turkey declines in the southwest and the western states. My impression is that the eastern gobbler (subspecies) is the ony one that is the focus.

Addiction, yeah, that's a good description. I encounter guys that say they hunted spring gobblers, killed some, and then quit.....I don't get it. Ben Rogers Lee, the Alabama gobbler guru of the 1980's, said "you need a good wife and a good job if you're gonna be a turkey hunter, if not, you'll loose both! You gonna turkey hunt 'till you die". Gene Nunnery a turkey sage from about the same era from MS, tells a humorous story about the old man who wanted to be known as "turkey man". When asked about his success, he stated "it only cost him a farm, a wife and two jobs," but by golly he was a recognized turkey hunter.

My standards? I've had far too many get away to be picky. I've met guys who will not bushwack a turkey, not hunt from a blind, not use decoys. Well and good for them.....they must a whole lot better than I am. I am also not against taking a jake, especially if it's been a lean year. BTW, over in MS, jakes are not a legal bird, only mature birds can be harvested.
 
hunt #24

#24, 2May
Satisfied with my success from the day before, I sleep in an extra hour and then make the short drive over to state property where I got the shot (and got whupped) on the 18th. I don't need the ATV here, but take it anyway, just in case I hear a bird way over in the big ridges to the west. But my intended destination is not over in the big woods, it's close to the state highway on the east side of the WMA in these low scrubby woods.

As soon as I shut the Polaris off I can hear birds..at least two.....buy they are so distant, and the highway noise so heavy that I cannot really get a good fix on exactly where they might be. I elect to stay in in this locale, perhaps the bird I shot at a week ago has survived and will go vocal.

I find a comfortable tree and settle in, hunting with my ears, snoozing occasionally. These public land birds have been called to ....a lot. The "road warriors" prowl the access roads daily, calling from the roadway, hoping to raise a gobbler. Heck, I've seen guys leaning out of their truck windows, cranking on a box call. I make no turkey calls or use any kind of locator call all morning. By 9:00AM I've had enough, it's warming up and I'm hungry. I ease out, taking many breaks to listen, but here nothing. I'm home by 10:30 and bamawife fixes me a late breakfast:)
 
I went shooting again today--but only saw a hen, no jake/toms. But the season has started and they're out there--I hope the landowner and his friends get to tag some. : )

Somewhere in your woods there must be a "Mr Big"--I hope you find him before your season is over. ;)
 
hunt #25

-hunt #25, 4May
The evening previous I take short ride onto state property to listen and roost in the evening. When I stop the old Toyota to go back and sit on the tailgate I look down, and there's a set of gobbler tracks! A sign from the heavens........:p I spend the last hour of daylight listening, owling a little bit, and hear nothing. But I'm back in the morning.

I park 1/2 mi or so from my where I was last evening and walk down the gravel road in the twilight, and as the day grows, I see more and more turkey tracks, and no small number of gobbler tracks mixed in. I decide to hunt the road as far as is legally possible. I set up in the pines near a WMA roads intersection nearby, feeling just a little stupid, my lines of sight are terrible. But all those tracks don't lie, there's birds here. I'd seen a good flock just right here as well preseason, obviously they are still in the area. At 8:00Am I hear a single gobble, way off in the valley below on private land and that is all. An AL Dept of Cons enforcement vehicle roars past twice and I'm glad to see it. Maybe they can deter the number of roadhunters.
 
hunt #26 & all done

Heavy morning thunder storms sweep through the area the past couple of days and I do not hunt. In the afternoons, I ride through the WMA and check the gravel road, and sure enough, there are gobbler tracks every time. Like any sneaky old turkey hunter would do, I kick them out or run them over with the truck!:rolleyes: If we can get a morning without storms, I'll be back.

hunt #26, 7May
It's windy this morning, but no rain, and I head over to the WMA to hunt near the road with all the tracks. I find a spot in the pines with slightly better lines of sight than last trip and am set up just after dawn. I do nothing the first hour but listen. As the morning progresses, I crank up the sturdy old Lohman box, calling blind every 20 minutes or so, but get no responses. I tell myself I will stick it out 'till 11:00AM and do, but can barely get to my feet after close 5 hours on the ground. :eek:

I'm done. Last day of the season is tomorrow, and I'm obligated to some responsibilities at the house. So that's it for AL 2024. I appreciate the moderators allowing my ramblings, and I am astounded every year at the number of views and the positive comments I receive from some of you. Still tech challenged, I hope to get bamaboy to assist in posting some dead bird photos in the near future. There is a very good chance I will hunt up in PA in a week or so and will report same if and when that happens.

Hope all get to hunt as much as they want and hear lots of gobbles:):):):):)
 
This guy came out today to chase the girls (yes, while I was target shooting) and he was the biggest Tom I've seen so far this year.

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Pic gobler 1, 2 and 3

Pictures of my three Alabama turkeys.
 

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